First published 1971
Lyman Ward sits in his wheelchair, a retired historian determined to piece together his grandparents' story. He begins tracing their journey across America's western frontier, where they carved out a life from harsh wilderness. As Lyman digs deeper into their letters and documents, he uncovers how they built civilization in places where none existed before. His grandparents faced isolation, hardship, and the constant challenge of survival in an unforgiving landscape. But Lyman's investigation forces him to confront uncomfortable truths about his own family and marriage. The past and present collide as four generations of one American family reveal their secrets. Lyman discovers that understanding his grandparents' struggles helps him make sense of his own broken relationships and disappointments. The research becomes a mirror, reflecting back his personal failures and the patterns that repeat across generations.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-saga, intergenerational, personal-investigation
Setting: America, West
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century
557 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics